People do crazy things for anime, like when a man married an anime hologram. Anime is incredibly popular, especially in Taiwan, and has become a lifestyle for many people. It has spread Japanese culture and has changed fashion, especially in some groups in Taiwan.

Cosplay

Cosplay has been vital in spreading the anime trend. Taiwan National University has hosted various cosplay events over the years, where thousands of people dress up as anime characters. These cosplay events exposed Taiwan to anime as it targeted youth as its fan base.

Anime characters also inspired a hair coloring trend among Taiwanese. Because of anime’s influence, people dye their hair orange, green, blue and other special colors to be like anime characters.

Anime collaborations

Popular anime franchises have collaborated with clothing brands to make quality anime merchandise. Big brands like Nike, Gucci, Adidas, Uniqlo, and Sketchers have collaborated with anime like Dragon Ball to make character themed T-shirts and shoes. Uniqlo is such a famous brand in Taiwan, so it’s hard to avoid the anime merchandise they sell.

Design overlap

Japanese culture is exaggerated in anime, which in turn is widely used in design. For example, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Summer days with Coo are folklore-based anime that have affected fashion. Mysterious creatures like the Kappa, Dragon, and the Kitsune are found in some anime, which means they are also often illustrated on clothing that is influenced by the anime that features those mythological creatures.

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Japanese anime has not only affected the fashion trends of Taiwan, but the whole fashion industry around the world. The anime lifestyle grew its fanbase and has become iconic. People wanted more than to just wear anime-based merchandise, they also want to dress and be like anime characters. Clearly Japanese anime has added colorful taste to Taiwanese fashion trends.